Father of killed docker to speak at memorial service

THE father of a worker who was killed in an industrial accident is to speak at a memorial service.

Jason Burden, 19, was killed in December 2011 while he worked at South Docks, in Sunderland.

The promising marine engineer with Tyne Slipway and Engineering suffered fatal chest injuries when a 970kg tunnel thruster from a ship overturned and landed on top of him.

Last year Judge James Goss QC fined the company £75,000 for the health and safety breach, and ordered it to pay £47,936 costs.

His father, Trevor Burden, of Fox Avenue, South Shields, will be taking part in International Workers’ Memorial Day, a programme organised by Hartlepool Joint Trades Union Committee (HTUC) on Tuesday, April 28.

Mr Burden, will speak during the event – which has the theme of “Remember The Dead, Fight For the Living” – and also lay a wreath in memory of his son.

Edwin Jeffries, president of HTUC, said: “Employees who have died through industrial accident or disease while trying to earn an honest living for themselves and their families are not publicly remembered on any other day.

“The purpose of Workers’ Memorial Day is two-fold.

“First, we remember the dead, because those who have died, been injured, or made ill through their work, deserve not to be forgotten.

“Secondly, we fight by campaigning for the living, so that people can go to work and provide for themselves and their family, without risk to their health and safety”.